Brilliant and original book - gothic murder mystery, historical novel, love story and a lot more.
What a captivating and thought-provoking story! And I am amazed that such a well constructed and beautifully written book is a debut novel.
Frannie is in prison accused of a double murder and looks back on her life from a slave plantation in Jamaica to the London of the 1820s with its balls and luxury but with a hidden side of sin and addiction. Frannie herself is a very appealing character, intelligent and caring but subject to some appalling atrocities.
There are so many enjoyable aspects - the gothic feel reminiscent of Sarah Waters, the murder mystery, a love story and the authentic historical feel of the period. The pacing is cleverly done as we gradually find out more about Frannie's background. Then there are the psychological insights and some chapters written as extracts from scientific papers concerning theories about race. Altogether an amazing and original novel.
What a debut! Gritty, dark, hard-hitting, sensitive and eye-opening regarding women’s lives in the 19th Century.
This novel is written from the point of view of Frannie, who grew up in the 19th Century in Jamaica as a slave. When she is brought to London and given away to a family to become their servant, we follow her life with all its difficulties and challenges.
Layer by layer is peeled away and we finally find out the whole truth of what has happened to her and why she is on trial for murder at the beginning of the book.
This is an outstanding debut novel! Frannie is a complex heroine, a former slave, who is a born survivor, sometimes to a degree that is frightening. A tale of love, horror, disappointment, anger, delight, despair! I’m sure this novel will resonate with so many readers as it has with me. I'm looking forward to reading more by this fantastic author in the future.
A enjoyable debut novel that I recommend reading.
When this book arrived in the post I wasn’t entirely sure what it was about. I thought it was another book about slavery. However, it not your normal Slave story, which was a nice change.
I found the book to be a well written historical fiction with a whodunnit factor, that brings London to life in the early 19th Century. Although slow at times, I found the storyline to be very interesting and quite compelling. I liked how it kept me wanting to discover where the story was going and to find out who the murderer was. Also, there was a small section in the book where I thought the storyline lost its way and to be honest I did lose a little interest during this bit.
I liked how the book is written in the first person, from Frannie’s point of view. I do like first-person narratives in these sorts of books as I feel it adds to the atmosphere and it makes you feel like you are right there listening to the character.
There is a vast array of characters which were very complex yet interesting.
Although a slow burner, overall this book is a well-researched and interesting debut novel, that I enjoyed reading. I look forward to seeing what else Sara Collins has to offer in the future, I will definitely be keeping an eye out. A book I would recommend reading.